Asian chronic kidney disease best practice recommendations: positional statements for early detection of chronic kidney disease from Asian Forum for Chronic Kidney Disease Initiatives (AFCKDI)

Systematic review of diagnostic and prognostic models of chronic kidney disease in low-income and middle-income countries

OBJECTIVE

To summarise available chronic kidney disease (CKD) diagnostic and prognostic models in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).

METHOD

Systematic review (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines). We searched Medline, EMBASE, Global Health (these three through OVID), Scopus and Web of Science from inception to 9 April 2021, 17 April 2021 and 18 April 2021, respectively. We first screened titles and abstracts, and then studied in detail the selected reports; both phases were conducted by two reviewers independently. We followed the CHecklist for critical Appraisal and data extraction for systematic Reviews of prediction Modelling Studies recommendations and used the Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool for risk of bias assessment.

RESULTS

The search retrieved 14 845 results, 11 reports were studied in detail and 9 (n=61 134) were included in the qualitative analysis. The proportion of women in the study population varied between 24.5% and 76.6%, and the mean age ranged between 41.8 and 57.7 years. Prevalence of undiagnosed CKD ranged between 1.1% and 29.7%. Age, diabetes mellitus and sex were the most common predictors in the diagnostic and prognostic models. Outcome definition varied greatly, mostly consisting of urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio and estimated glomerular filtration rate. The highest performance metric was the negative predictive value. All studies exhibited high risk of bias, and some had methodological limitations.

CONCLUSION

There is no strong evidence to support the use of a CKD diagnostic or prognostic model throughout LMIC. The development, validation and implementation of risk scores must be a research and public health priority in LMIC to enhance CKD screening to improve timely diagnosis.

Development and Validation of Prediction Models for Hypertensive Nephropathy, the PANDORA Study

Importance

Hypertension is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), but currently, those at risk are poorly identified.

Objective

To develop and validate a prediction model for the development of hypertensive nephropathy (HN).

Design, Setting, and Participants

Individual data of cohorts of hypertensive patients from Kailuan, China served to derive and validate a multivariable prediction model of HN from 12, 656 individuals enrolled from January 2006 to August 2007, with a median follow-up of 6.5 years. The developed model was subsequently tested in both derivation and external validation cohorts.

Variables

Demographics, physical examination, laboratory, and comorbidity variables.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Hypertensive nephropathy was defined as hypertension with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and/or proteinuria.

Results

About 8.5% of patients in the derivation cohort developed HN after a median follow-up of 6.5 years that was similar in the validation cohort. Eight variables in the derivation cohort were found to contribute to the risk of HN: salt intake, diabetes mellitus, stroke, serum low-density lipoprotein, pulse pressure, age, hypertension duration, and serum uric acid. The discrimination by concordance statistics (C-statistics) was 0.785 (IQR, 0.770-0.800); the calibration slope was 1.129, the intercept was –0.117; and the overall accuracy by adjusted R2 was 0.998 with similar results in the validation cohort. A simple points scale developed from these data (0, low to 40, high) detected a low morbidity of 7% in the low-risk group (0–10 points) compared with >40% in the high-risk group (>20 points).

Conclusions and Relevance

A prediction model of HN over 8 years had high discrimination and calibration, but this model requires prospective evaluation in other cohorts, to confirm its potential to improve patient care.

Evaluation of Serum Cyclooxygenase, Hepcidin Levels in Acute Renal Injury (AKI) Patients Following Cardiac Catheterization

Background

Acute kidney damage is a severe condition common in patients who have undergone heart surgery (catheterization) and secondary injury is also referred to as being synonymous with surgery. The goal of this research is to determine the rate of cyclooxygenase and hepcidin levels in patients with acute renal injury (AKI) following cardiac catheterization.

Methods

The study is performed on (81) patients (64 males and 17 females) aged 40-75 years. Data from most patients are reported in the form of age, gender, and smoking background questionnaire.

Results

The results indicate a significant increase in serum levels of cyclooxygenase and hepcidin levels in patients with severe renal insufficiency after cardiac catheterization by (79%) males versus (21%) females.

Conclusion

In this study, improved risk prediction could enhance patient monitoring and treatment after surgery, direct patient treatment and decision making, and enhance participation in AKI interventional trials.

Kidney health for everyone everywhere: from prevention to detection and equitable access to care

The global burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rapidly increasing with a projection of becoming the 5th most common cause of years of life lost globally by 2040. Aggravatingly, CKD is a major cause of catastrophic health expenditure. The costs of dialysis and transplantation consume up to 3% of the annual healthcare budget in high-income countries. Crucially, however, the onset and progression of CKD is often preventable. In 2020, the World Kidney Day campaign highlights the importance of preventive interventions-be it primary, secondary or tertiary. This complementing article focuses on outlining and analyzing measures that can be implemented in every country to promote and advance CKD prevention. Primary prevention of kidney disease should focus on the modification of risk factors and addressing structural abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tracts, as well as exposure to environmental risk factors and nephrotoxins. In persons with pre-existing kidney disease, secondary prevention, including blood pressure optimization and glycemic control, should be the main goal of education and clinical interventions. In patients with advanced CKD, management of co-morbidities such as uremia and cardiovascular disease is a highly recommended preventative intervention to avoid or delay dialysis or kidney transplantation. Political efforts are needed to proliferate the preventive approach. While national policies and strategies for non-communicable diseases might be present in a country, specific policies directed toward education and awareness about CKD screening, management and treatment are often lacking. Hence, there is an urgent need to increase the awareness of the importance of preventive measures throughout populations, professionals and policy makers.

Impact of Metabolic Syndrome on the Mortality Rate among Participants in a Specific Health Check and Guidance Program in Japan

Objective In Japan, the Specific Health Check and Guidance (Tokutei-Kenshin) program was started in 2008 to decrease the social burden related to metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, so far this program has not been found to have any impact on the mortality rate. Methods The subjects consisted of individuals who participated in the Tokutei-Kenshin in seven districts between 2008 and 2015. Using a National database of death certificates, we identified those who might have died and then further confirmed such deaths with the collaboration of the regional National Health Insurance agency and public health nurses. The diagnosis of MetS was made according to the Japanese criteria. The causes of death were classified by ICD-10. Mortality risk was evaluated after adjusting for age, sex, smoking, alcohol intake and past medical history such as stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. Results Among the total of 664,926 subjects, we identified 8,051 fatal cases by the end of 2015. The crude death rate was 1.6% for those with MetS, 1.3% for those with preliminary metabolic syndrome, and 1.1% those without MetS. In MetS, the adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) was 1.08 (1.02-1.15) for all-cause and 1.39 (1.22-1.58) for cardiovascular disease mortality when the reference was for those without MetS. Conclusion The death rate was found to be significantly higher among the participants with MetS.

Conversion of Urine Protein-Creatinine Ratio or Urine Dipstick Protein to Urine Albumin-Creatinine Ratio for Use in Chronic Kidney Disease Screening and Prognosis : An Individual Participant-Based Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Although measuring albuminuria is the preferred method for defining and staging chronic kidney disease (CKD), total urine protein or dipstick protein is often measured instead.

OBJECTIVE

To develop equations for converting urine protein-creatinine ratio (PCR) and dipstick protein to urine albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) and to test their diagnostic accuracy in CKD screening and staging.

DESIGN

Individual participant-based meta-analysis.

SETTING

12 research and 21 clinical cohorts.

PARTICIPANTS

919 383 adults with same-day measures of ACR and PCR or dipstick protein.

MEASUREMENTS

Equations to convert urine PCR and dipstick protein to ACR were developed and tested for purposes of CKD screening (ACR ≥30 mg/g) and staging (stage A2: ACR of 30 to 299 mg/g; stage A3: ACR ≥300 mg/g).

RESULTS

Median ACR was 14 mg/g (25th to 75th percentile of cohorts, 5 to 25 mg/g). The association between PCR and ACR was inconsistent for PCR values less than 50 mg/g. For higher PCR values, the PCR conversion equations demonstrated moderate sensitivity (91%, 75%, and 87%) and specificity (87%, 89%, and 98%) for screening (ACR >30 mg/g) and classification into stages A2 and A3, respectively. Urine dipstick categories of trace or greater, trace to +, and ++ for screening for ACR values greater than 30 mg/g and classification into stages A2 and A3, respectively, had moderate sensitivity (62%, 36%, and 78%) and high specificity (88%, 88%, and 98%). For individual risk prediction, the estimated 2-year 4-variable kidney failure risk equation using predicted ACR from PCR had discrimination similar to that of using observed ACR.

LIMITATION

Diverse methods of ACR and PCR quantification were used; measurements were not always performed in the same urine sample.

CONCLUSION

Urine ACR is the preferred measure of albuminuria; however, if ACR is not available, predicted ACR from PCR or urine dipstick protein may help in CKD screening, staging, and prognosis.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and National Kidney Foundation.

Aetiology of chronic kidney disease and risk factors for disease progression in Chinese subjects: A single-centre retrospective study in Beijing

AIM

To assess the aetiological factors of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and factors associated with disease progression.

METHODS

Single-centre retrospective study evaluating thorough electronic medical records of patients diagnosed with CKD at Peking University People's Hospital (April 2010-April 2015). The objectives were to identify the aetiological factors of CKD in Chinese patients and risk factors associated with CKD progression.

RESULTS

Of 15 425 CKD patients, 12 380 had aetiology recorded. The leading aetiologies associated with CKD were chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN; 36.8%), hypertensive nephropathy (HTN; 28.5%) and diabetic nephropathy (DN; 27.1%). CGN was most common in patients with early stage disease (stages 1-2); DN and HTN were common in advanced-stages (stages 3-4). In a longitudinal subcohort of 2923 patients with ≥6-month follow-up, 19.6% experienced CKD progression. Patients with CKD progression were significantly older in age and had a greater number of comorbidities and laboratory anomalies, and were more likely to have DN (40.5%) and CGN (40.5%) than HTN (5.5%) at baseline than patients without progression. In a multivariate analysis, factors associated with disease progression included macro- and micro-albuminuria, anaemia, hyperkalaemia, hyperphosphataemia, metabolic acidosis, CKD stage 4 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

CONCLUSION

This study identified CGN, DN and HTN as the leading aetiological factors for CKD in Chinese patients. DN was a strong predictor of faster disease progression, with albuminuria (a complication of T2DM) associated with highest risk for disease progression.

Prevalence of chronic kidney disease and its associated factors in Malaysia; findings from a nationwide population-based cross-sectional study

Background

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Malaysia was 9.07% in 2011. We aim to determine the current CKD prevalence in Malaysia and its associated risk factors.

Methods

A population-based study was conducted on a total of 890 respondents who were representative of the adult population in Malaysia, i.e., aged ≥18 years old. Respondents were randomly selected using a stratified cluster method. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was estimated from calibrated serum creatinine using the CKD-EPI equation. CKD was defined as eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m² or the presence of persistent albuminuria if eGFR ≥60 ml/min/1.73m².

Results

Our study shows that the prevalence of CKD in Malaysia was 15.48% (95% CI: 12.30, 19.31) in 2018, an increase compared to the year 2011 when the prevalence of CKD was 9.07%. An estimated 3.85% had stage 1 CKD, 4.82% had stage 2 CKD, and 6.48% had stage 3 CKD, while 0.33% had stage 4–5 CKD. Hypertension (aOR 3.72), diabetes mellitus (aOR 3.32), increasing BMI (aOR 1.06), and increasing age (aOR 1.06) were significantly associated with CKD.

Conclusion

Our study has shown that CKD has become one of the leading public health issues in Malaysia. Thus, there is an urgent need to screen for CKD and prevent its progression, associated morbidity, and mortality at the national level.

[Kidney health for everyone everywhere - from prevention to detection and equitable access to care]

The global burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rapidly increasing with a projection of becoming the 5th most common cause of years of life lost globally by 2040. Aggravatingly, CKD is a major cause of catastrophic health expenditure. The costs of dialysis and transplantation consume up to 3% of the annual healthcare budget in high-income countries. Crucially, however, the onset and progression of CKD is often preventable. In 2020, the World Kidney Day campaign highlights the importance of preventive interventions be it primary, secondary or tertiary. This complementing article focuses on outlining and analyzing measures that can beimplemented in every country to promote and advance CKD prevention. Primary prevention of kidney disease should focus on the modification of risk factors and addressing structural abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tracts, as well as exposure to environmental risk factors and nephrotoxins. In persons with pre-existing kidney disease, secondary prevention, including blood pressure optimization and glycemic control, should be the main goal of education and clinical interventions. In patients with advanced CKD, management of co-morbidities such as uremia and cardiovascular disease is a highly recommended preventative intervention to avoid or delay dialysis or kidney transplantation. Political efforts are needed to proliferate the preventive approach. While national policies and strategies for non-communicable diseases might be present in a country, specific policies directed toward education and awareness about CKD screening, management and treatment are often lacking. Hence, there is an urgent need to increase the awareness of the importance of preventive measures throughout populations, professionals and policy makers.

Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere - From Prevention to Detection and Equitable Access to Care

The global burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rapidly increasing with a projection of becoming the 5th most common cause of years of life lost globally by 2040. Aggravatingly, CKD is a major cause of catastrophic health expenditure. The costs of dialysis and transplantation consume up to 3% of the annual healthcare budget in high-income countries. Crucially, however, the onset and progression of CKD is often preventable. In 2020, the World Kidney Day campaign highlights the importance of preventive interventions - be it primary, secondary or tertiary. This complementing article focuses on outlining and analyzing measures that can be implemented in every country to promote and advance CKD prevention. Primary prevention of kidney disease should focus on the modification of risk factors and addressing structural abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tracts, as well as exposure to environmental risk factors and nephrotoxins. In persons with pre-existing kidney disease, secondary prevention, including blood pressure optimization and glycemic control, should be the main goal of education and clinical interventions. In patients with advanced CKD, management of co-morbidities such as uremia and cardiovascular disease is a highly recommended preventative intervention to avoid or delay dialysis or kidney transplantation. Political efforts are needed to proliferate the preventive approach. While national policies and strategies for non-communicable diseases might be present in a country, specific policies directed toward education and awareness about CKD screening, management and treatment are often lacking. Hence, there is an urgent need to increase the awareness of the importance of preventive measures throughout populations, professionals and policy makers.

Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere: From Prevention to Detection and Equitable Access to Care

The global burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rapidly increasing with a projection of becoming the fifth most common cause of years of life lost globally by 2040. Aggravatingly, CKD is a major cause of catastrophic health expenditure. The costs of dialysis and transplantation consume up to 3% of the annual health care budget in high-income countries. Crucially, however, the onset and progression of CKD is often preventable. In 2020, the World Kidney Day campaign highlights the importance of preventive interventions—be it primary, secondary, or tertiary. This article complements this initiative by focusing on outlining and analyzing measures that can be implemented in every country to promote and advance CKD prevention. Primary prevention of kidney disease should focus on the modification of risk factors and addressing structural abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tracts, as well as exposure to environmental risk factors and nephrotoxins. In persons with preexisting kidney disease, secondary prevention, including blood pressure optimization and glycemic control, should be the main goal of education and clinical interventions. In patients with advanced CKD, management of comorbidities such as uremia and cardiovascular disease is a highly recommended preventative intervention to avoid or delay dialysis or kidney transplantation. Political efforts are needed to disseminate the preventive approach. While national policies and strategies for noncommunicable diseases might be present in a country, specific policies directed toward education and awareness about CKD screening, management, and treatment are often lacking. Hence, there is an urgent need to increase the awareness of the importance of preventive measures throughout populations, professionals, and policy makers.

Kidney health for everyone everywhere - from prevention to detection and equitable access to care

The global burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rapidly increasing with a projection of becoming the 5th most common cause of years of life lost globally by 2040. CKD is a major cause of catastrophic health expenditure. The costs of dialysis and transplantation consume up to 3% of the annual healthcare budget in high-income countries. However, the onset and progression of CKD is often preventable. In 2020, the World Kidney Day campaign highlights the importance of preventive interventions – be it primary, secondary, or tertiary. This article focuses on outlining and analyzing measures that can be implemented in every country to promote and advance CKD prevention. Primary prevention of kidney disease should focus on the modification of risk factors and addressing structural abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tracts, as well as exposure to environmental risk factors and nephrotoxins. In persons with pre-existing kidney disease, secondary prevention, including blood pressure optimization and glycemic control, should be the main goal of education and clinical interventions. In patients with advanced CKD, management of co-morbidities such as uremia and cardiovascular disease is a highly recommended preventative intervention to avoid or delay dialysis or kidney transplantation. Political efforts are needed to proliferate the preventive approach. While national policies and strategies for non-communicable diseases might be present in a country, specific policies directed toward education and awareness about CKD screening, management, and treatment are often lacking. Hence, there is an urgent need to increase the awareness of preventive measures throughout populations, professionals, and policy makers.

Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere - From Prevention to Detection and Equitable Access to Care

The global burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rapidly increasing with a projection of becoming the 5^th most common cause of years of life lost globally by 2040. Aggravatingly, CKD is a major cause of catastrophic health expenditure. The costs of dialysis and transplantation consume up to 3% of the annual healthcare budget in high-income countries. Crucially, however, the onset and progression of CKD is often preventable. In 2020, the World Kidney Day campaign highlights the importance of preventive interventions – be it primary, secondary or tertiary. This complementing article focuses on outlining and analyzing measures that can be implemented in every country to promote and advance CKD prevention. Primary prevention of kidney disease should focus on the modification of risk factors and addressing structural abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tracts, as well as exposure to environmental risk factors and nephrotoxins. In persons with pre-existing kidney disease, secondary prevention, including blood pressure optimization and glycemic control, should be the main goal of education and clinical interventions. In patients with advanced CKD, management of co-morbidities such as uremia and cardiovascular disease is a highly recommended preventative intervention to avoid or delay dialysis or kidney transplantation. Political efforts are needed to proliferate the preventive approach. While national policies and strategies for non-communicable diseases might be present in a country, specific policies directed toward education and awareness about CKD screening, management and treatment are often lacking. Hence, there is an urgent need to increase the awareness of the importance of preventive measures throughout populations, professionals and policy makers.

Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere-From Prevention to Detection and Equitable Access to Care

The global burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing with a projection of becoming the fifth leading cause of years of life lost globally by 2040. CKD is a major cause of catastrophic health expenditure. The costs of dialysis and transplantation consume up to 3% of the entire annual healthcare budget in high-income countries. Crucially, however, both the onset and progression of CKD is potentially preventable. In 2020, the World Kidney Day campaign highlights the importance of preventive interventions-be it primary, i.e. to prevent de novo CKD, or secondary or tertiary, i.e. prevention of worsening early CKD or progression of more advanced CKD to end-stage kidney disease, respectively. Primary prevention should focus on the modification of CKD risk factors and address the structural abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tracts, and exposure to environmental risk factors and nephrotoxins. In persons with pre-existing kidney disease, secondary prevention, including blood pressure optimization, glycemic control and avoiding high-protein high-sodium diet should be the main goal of education and clinical interventions. In patients with moderate to advanced CKD, the management of comorbidities such as uremia and cardiovascular disease along with low-protein diet are among the recommended preventative interventions to avoid or delay dialysis or kidney transplantation. Whereas national policies and strategies for noncommunicable diseases may exist in a country, specific policies directed toward education and awareness about CKD screening, prevention and treatment are often lacking. There is an urgent need to increase awareness for preventive measures throughout populations, professionals and policy makers.

Mortality risk among screened subjects of the specific health check and guidance program in Japan 2008-2012

BACKGROUND

In Japan, the Specific Health Check and Guidance (Tokutei-Kenshin) has started in 2008. However, the relationship between the baseline characteristics and mortality has not been examined.

METHODS

Subjects were those who participated at the 2008 Tokutei-Kenshin in six districts with baseline data of serum creatinine. Using National database of death certificate from 2008 to 2012, we identified those who might have died and confirmed further with the collaborations of the regional National Health Insurance agency and public health nurses. The data was released to the research team supported by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan, and is governed by strict regulation and is completely encrypted with the individual's name and residence. Causes of death were classified by ICD-10.

RESULTS

Among the total of 295,297 subjects, we identified 3764 fatal cases by end of 2012. The median BMI was 23.8 kg/m² in men and 22.5 kg/m² in women, respectively. Proteinuria, dipstick 1+ and over, was positive in 5.3%. The median eGFR was 73.8 ml/min/1.73 m² among those with data available in 81% of the total cohort (N = 239,274). The leading cause of death was neoplasm in both genders. It was 51.6% of the total, 50.4% in men and 53.7% in women. The second cause of death was circulatory; 20.4% of the total, 21.1% in men and 19.2% in women.

CONCLUSION

Half of the causes of death was related to neoplasm among the cohort of the Tokutei-Kenshin. Effects of baseline demographics such as lifestyle and CKD remained to be studied.

Nephrotoxicity of cisplatin combination chemotherapy in thoracic malignancy patients with CKD risk factors

Background

Nephrotoxicity is the major side effect that limits the dose of cisplatin that can be safely administered, and it is a clinical problem in cancer patients who received cisplatin combination chemotherapy. Recent evidence has demonstrated that patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased risk of developing acute kidney injury (AKI). The present study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of CKD risk factors in patients who received cisplatin and to assess the correlation between CKD risk factors and cisplatin-induced AKI.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 84 patients treated with cisplatin combination chemotherapy for thoracic malignancies. AKI was defined as a decrease in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) > 25 % from base line, an increase in the serum creatinine (sCre) level of > 0.3 mg/dl or ≥ 1.5 times the baseline level.

Results

Eighty of the 84 patients (95.2 %) had at least one risk factor for CKD. All enrolled patients received cisplatin with hydration, magnesium supplementation and mannitol. Cisplatin-induced AKI was observed in 18 patients (21.4 %). Univariate analysis revealed that cardiac disease and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were associated with cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity (odds ratios [OR] 6 and 3.56, 95 % confidence intervals [CI] 1.21–29.87 and 1.11–11.39, p = 0.04 and p = 0.04, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that cisplatin nephrotoxicity occurred significantly more often in patients with both risk factors (OR 13.64, 95 % CI 1.11–326.83, p = 0.04). Patients with more risk factors for CKD tended to have a greater risk of developing cisplatin-induced AKI.

Conclusions

We should consider avoiding administration of cisplatin to patients with CKD risk factors, particularly cardiac disease and NSAID use.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2271-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Renal registry in Hong Kong-the first 20 years

Renal Registry was started by the Hospital Authority (HA) in Hong Kong in 1995. It is an online system developed by HA. It collects all patients under care in HA, which is about 90–95 % of all requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) in Hong Kong. The total number of patients treated increased from 3312 in 1996 to 8510 in 2013. In 2013, there were 3501 renal transplant, 1192 hemodialysis (HD) and 3817 peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. In 2013, 1147 new patients joined the RRT program, 49.6% of them suffered from diabetic nephropathy. Glomerulonephritis and hypertension are the 2nd and 3rd most common causes of RRT in Hong Kong. The median age was 59.1 years with male to female ratio of 1.54 to 1. Hong Kong practices ‘PD first' policy and the majority of the patients are on CAPD treatment. The ratio of PD to HD was 76.2% to 23.8%. Eighty-six percent of all PD patients are on CAPD; the remaining 14% are on automated peritoneal dialysis (APD). Sixty-five percent of all dialysis patients are on erythropoiesis-stimulating agent treatment. The Hong Kong Renal Registry with online real-time data input and access can provide timely data and information to facilitate patient care and management and also provides invaluable data to help in development and planning of renal services in Hong Kong.

Elevated serum leptin, adiponectin and leptin to adiponectin ratio is associated with chronic kidney disease in Asian adults

Background

Adiponectin and leptin, two of the key cytokines secreted by adipocytes, have been shown to be associated with cardiovascular disease. However, the association of these adipocytokines with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is not clear. We examined the association of serum adiponectin, leptin levels and leptin to adiponectin ratio (LAR) with CKD in a population-based sample of Asian adults.

Methods

We conducted a case-control study (450 CKD cases and 920 controls matched for age, sex and ethnicity) involving Chinese and Indian adults aged 40–80 years who participated in the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases Study (2007–2011). CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73m² from serum creatinine. Serum adiponectin and leptin levels were measured using commercially available ELISA. Odds ratio of CKD associated with elevated adiponectin and leptin levels were estimated using logistic regression models adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity, education, smoking, body mass index, diabetes, blood pressure, total and HDL cholesterol.

Results

CKD cases had higher levels of leptin (mean [SD] 9.7 [11.5] vs.16.9 [20.2] ng/mL, p<0.0001) and adiponectin (10.4 [7.4] vs. 9.2 [4.2], p = 0.001) compared to controls. In multi-variable models, compared to those in the lowest quartile, the OR (95% confidence interval) of CKD among those in the highest quartile were: 6.46 (3.84, 10.88), 1.94 (1.32–2.85) and 2.88 (1.78–4.64) for leptin, adiponectin and LAR. Similar associations were also observed when adiponectin and leptin were analyzed as continuous variables. This positive association of serum adiponectin, leptin and LAR with CKD was consistently present in subgroups of gender, ethnicity, diabetes, hypertension and overweight status (all P-interaction >0.1).

Conclusions

Higher levels of serum adiponectin, leptin and LAR were positively associated with CKD independent of traditional risk factors in this Asian population.

Acute kidney injury: global health alert

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is increasingly prevalent in developing and developed countries and is associated with severe morbidity and mortality. Most etiologies of AKI can be prevented by interventions at the individual, community, regional and in-hospital levels. Effective measures must include community-wide efforts to increase an awareness of the devastating effects of AKI and provide guidance on preventive strategies, as well as early recognition and management. Efforts should be focused on minimizing causes of AKI, increasing awareness of the importance of serial measurements of serum creatinine in high risk patients, and documenting urine volume in acutely ill people to achieve early diagnosis; there is as yet no definitive role for alternative biomarkers. Protocols need to be developed to systematically manage prerenal conditions and specific infections. More accurate data about the true incidence and clinical impact of AKI will help to raise the importance of the disease in the community, increase awareness of AKI by governments, the public, general and family physicians and other health care professionals to help prevent the disease. Prevention is the key to avoid the heavy burden of mortality and morbidity associated with AKI.

Cardiovascular risk assessment in low-resource settings: a consensus document of the European Society of Hypertension Working Group on Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk in Low Resource Settings

The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2010 confirms ischemic heart disease and stroke as the leading cause of death and that hypertension is the main associated risk factor worldwide. How best to respond to the rising prevalence of hypertension in resource-deprived settings is a topic of ongoing public-health debate and discussion. In low-income and middle-income countries, socioeconomic inequality and cultural factors play a role both in the development of risk factors and in the access to care. In Europe, cultural barriers and poor communication between health systems and migrants may limit migrants from receiving appropriate prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. To use more efficiently resources available and to make treatment cost-effective at the patient level, cardiovascular risk approach is now recommended. In 2011, The European Society of Hypertension established a Working Group on 'Hypertension and Cardiovascular risk in low resource settings', which brought together cardiologists, diabetologists, nephrologists, clinical trialists, epidemiologists, economists, and other stakeholders to review current strategies for cardiovascular risk assessment in population studies in low-income and middle-income countries, their limitations, possible improvements, and future interests in screening programs. This report summarizes current evidence and presents highlights of unmet needs.

Budget impact analysis of chronic kidney disease mass screening test in Japan

Background

Our recently published cost-effectiveness study on chronic kidney disease mass screening test in Japan evaluated the use of dipstick test, serum creatinine (Cr) assay or both in specific health checkup (SHC). Mandating the use of serum Cr assay additionally, or the continuation of current policy mandating dipstick test only was found cost-effective. This study aims to examine the affordability of previously suggested reforms.

Methods

Budget impact analysis was conducted assuming the economic model would be good for 15 years and applying a population projection. Costs expended by social insurers without discounting were counted as budgets.

Results

Annual budget impacts of mass screening compared with do-nothing scenario were calculated as ¥79–¥−1,067 million for dipstick test only, ¥2,505–¥9,235 million for serum Cr assay only and ¥2,517–¥9,251 million for the use of both during a 15-year period. Annual budget impacts associated with the reforms were calculated as ¥975–¥4,129 million for mandating serum Cr assay in addition to the currently used mandatory dipstick test, and ¥963–¥4,113 million for mandating serum Cr assay only and abandoning dipstick test.

Conclusions

Estimated values associated with the reform from ¥963–¥4,129 million per year over 15 years are considerable amounts of money under limited resources. The most impressive finding of this study is the decreasing additional expenditures in dipstick test only scenario. This suggests that current policy which mandates dipstick test only would contain medical care expenditure.

Contribution of glomerular filtration rate to 10-year cardiovascular and mortality risk among hypertensive adults: Tehran lipid and glucose study

The authors tested the hypotheses that (1) estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) predicts cardiovascular disease (CVD) or mortality risk among hypertensive patients, (2) associations are curvilinear, and (3) diabetes modifies these associations. Data from a 10-year follow-up of 3179 hypertensive patients 18 years and older were analyzed. Measurements included eGFR and CVD risk factors, and outcomes were CVD and mortality. Cox models were developed to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for different endpoints for a 1-standard deviation (SD) increment in eGFR. The nonlinearity in associations was examined by cubic spline method. Mean (SD) age of the participants (59.0% women) was 56.3 (12.3) years. During follow-up (10-year), 629 incident cases of CVD (296 women) and 320 deaths (130 women) were documented. The incidence rate of different outcomes decreased across increasing eGFR quintiles. Among men, irrespective of their diabetes status, eGFR was inversely associated with risk of mortality. Among women, irrespective of their diabetes status, eGFR did not predict mortality. Neither among men nor among women did eGFR predict CVD or coronary heart disease. No evidence was found for nonlinearity in these associations. eGFR was independently associated with mortality among hypertensive men with or without diabetes. When information on traditional CVD risk factors was available, eGFR provided no additional predictive value for CVD.

Acute kidney injury: Global health alert

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is increasingly prevalent in developing and developed countries and is associated with severe morbidity and mortality. Most etiologies of AKI can be prevented by interventions at the individual, community, regional and in-hospital levels. Effective measures must include community-wide efforts to increase an awareness of the devastating effects of AKI and provide guidance on preventive strategies, as well as early recognition and management. Efforts should be focused on minimizing causes of AKI, increasing awareness of the importance of serial measurements of serum creatinine in high risk patients, and documenting urine volume in acutely ill people to achieve early diagnosis; there is as yet no definitive role for alternative biomarkers. Protocols need to be developed to systematically manage prerenal conditions and specific infections. More accurate data about the true incidence and clinical impact of AKI will help to raise the importance of the disease in the community, increase awareness of AKI by governments, the public, general and family physicians and other health care professionals to help prevent the disease. Prevention is the key to avoid the heavy burden of mortality and morbidity associated with AKI.

National Health Survey on the Prevalence of Urinary Abnormalities in the Population: then and now (1975 to 2012)

Introduction: This paper presents the results of a community survey on urinary abnormalities which covered 1/80th of the population of Singapore in 1975. These findings were compared with the data from the Singapore National Service Registrants in 1974 as well as data from a recent survey in Singapore and that of other Asian and Western countries. Materials and Methods: The study covered 18,000 persons aged 15 years and above, representing a sampling fraction of 1/80th of the population. A total of 16,808 respondents attended the fi eld examination centres, of whom 16,497 had their urine sample tested representing 92.7% of the sample population. Results: In the dipstick urine testing at the fi eld examination centres, 769 subjects (4.6%) were found to have urinary abnormalities. Two hundred and eighty-two (36.7%) of these 769 subjects were found to have urinary abnormalities based on urine microscopy constituting a prevalence of 1.71%. The prevalence of proteinuria was 0.63% and for both haematuria and proteinuria was 0.73%. The prevalence for hypertension was 0.43% and renal insufficiency was 0.1%. Discussion: The consensus is that routine screening for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the general population is not cost effective as the yield is too low. Whilst, most studies showed that screening of the general population was not cost effective, it has been suggested that screening for targeted groups of subjects could help to identify certain risk groups who may benefit from early intervention to prevent or retard the progression of CKD. Conclusion: The prevalence of urinary abnormalities in Singapore has remained the same, now and three decades ago. Key words: Chronic kidney disease, Proteinuria, Screening